The Sleeping Prince
by TheSleepyNinja15
Summary: Once upon a time, Sleeping Beauty is not a princess and the savior is not a prince. Will they be able to break the curse and live happily ever after? Inspired by the fairy tale, "The Sleeping Beauty". AU
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom, there lays a young prince who has been sleeping for hundreds of years because of a curse by a cruel witch. The curse which was given to him when he was a baby took effect just after his 18th birthday when he accidentally pricked his finger by a needle. The whole kingdom led by the king and queen succumbed to a great loneliness that caused all of the bright colors inside and that surrounded the kingdom turned gray and thorny. Meanwhile, even the servants in the palace started to fail to do their duties upon the loss of the sole heir to the throne but most importantly, the loss of their lively, kind, and considerate prince.

In order to prevent their loneliness from creating more darkness and misery around the kingdom, a fairy decided to let them sleep along with the prince and only when a person who portrays admirable determination, courage, commitment, and kindness, and gives him a kiss of genuine love shall the prince opens his eyes again.

It has been hundreds of years since the curse took effect.

There have been some attempts yes, to wake up the sleeping prince. From princesses of neighboring kingdoms who only wanted the title of the queen, an amazon who unfortunately lost her way in the forest and stumbled upon the withering castle, physicians who used science to explain the prince's situation, to ordinary maidens who won the annual search for the "Prince's Lily" of their town. But none of them had met the qualifications and succeeded to wake him up.

Now marks the 505th year of his slumber and Milly, his fairy godmother, is busily decorating his room into the theme of spring with her magic wand when her attention is called.

"I'm busy painting the daisies, Lelouch. Make sure that this is something interesting," she exasperatedly says.

"Someone's coming."

The fairy turns around and finds the prince, yes the prince, for his physical body might be immovable now but the essence of his soul is very much awake and lively to create a projection only the fairy could see, gazing out the window of his room.

Milly stands beside him and narrows her eyes upon seeing the visitor. "I know that green hair."

The prince turns to him. "You know her?"

"Hmmm. I'm not sure but only one family possesses hair as green as hers."

"Who?"

"The Corabelle Family."

Lelouch stares at her worriedly. She could feel the fear and then the anger build up inside him. "You mean the family of witches that put the curse on me?"

Milly nods. "Yes. She might be a descendant of them."

"Then we've got to stop her from entering the palace. They might have sent her to bring more havoc."

In a twirl of her wand, Milly makes them disappear and reappear at the foyer - infront of the green-haired girl whom in closer look is truly, tremenduously, very much pretty. Milly catches the prince blush a bit when he accidentally lands inches away from the girl's face. Oh, the prince and his inexperience with girls. Well, who can blame him when he has been _asleep_ more than he was awake. Milly tries to hold her laugh.

Meanwhile, the girl gasps in surprise and stumbles a step back when a strange woman dressed in all purple with tiny wings on her back suddenly appears out of nowhere. Clutching her chest, she asks, "Who are you?"

"Well, hello there, too, lovely one," greets Milly. "I'm the one who should be asking you. My name's Milly, daughter of the fairy prince and princess of the Ashford family and the caretaker of the palace. Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Standing proud, the girl answers her, "I am Cecaniah Corabelle, only daughter of Elizabeth Corabelle, The Gray Witch. I am here because I want to see the sleeping prince."

"Me?"

"And why do you want to see him? Did your mother ask you to check if her curse is still effective? Well, unfortunately yes. Now that I told you, please leave."

"My mother didn't send me, neither knew that I am here. I am just curious, that's all."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"Good thing I am not a cat, then."

Milly hears a snort beside her and she throws a glare at the prince. The young witch follows her line of sight and stares directly at Lelouch.

"S-She couldn't see me, right?" the prince asks warily while staring back at the girl.

"I'm right here. Where are you looking?" Milly waves her hand infront of Cecaniah's face.

"I thought I heard something. Anyway, I mean no harm. I'll immediately leave once I saw him. I just need to confirm something important."

Lelouch whispers to Milly. "Don't let her in, Milly. She might be lying and have other plans to ruin the palace. She might even hurt the people here."

But the fairy godmother is not listening, instead she is thinking of how this maiden witch is also a possible key to end the prince's curse. Her mother might be the cause of all this devastation but she can sense through her 'fairy feels' that Cecaniah is telling the truth. Her striking golden eyes are impassive but they look straight at her without fear and hesitation.

And honestly, Milly is getting bored. It's been a while since the last visitor came and failed, she needs some entertainment aside from redecorating the palace. If Cecaniah does end up as a villain, well, she's a powerful fairy after all, she is certain she can counter the witch's tricks if she ever uses her power. She's not the 'Golden Fairy' for nothing.

"Fine..."

"What?! Are you insane, Milly?"

"... but if I ever see the slightest sign that you'll just hurt him, I'll not think twice in using my powers against you."

"Got it."

And with another twirl of her wand, the three of them disappear into thin air.

Lelouch is sulking.

He is mad at Milly for letting the witch near his body but he is also annoyed at himself for he can't stop staring at the green-haired maiden. She is too pretty to be a witch. It's not like he had seen other witches except for a vague memory of Elizabeth. But he had read and saw illustrations of them and they were all nothing alike Cecaniah. _Cecaniah._ Even her name is beautiful. Lelouch shakes his head. What is he thinking, admiring a witch whom, for all he knows might also be using her physical appearance to lure and deceive people. A witch who is a direct descendant of the one who cursed him and brought tragedy to the kingdom. Mischief, evilness and deceit run in her blood, she couldn't be trusted. So why does Milly, the fairy who had witnessed all the cruelty and had been with him through all these years, allowed Cecaniah to see his body? Sometimes this fairy is out of her mind.

"If she turns me into a frog, I'll never forgive you, Milly. I'll never stop croaking to annoy you. I'll even pee - "

Milly waves her wand at him and he can't suddenly open his mouth. _What? This is not the right time to play! Why is she doing this?_

When he finally notices that there is no way to break the fairy's spell, he gives up and grudgingly watches as the witch inspects his sleeping form.

Oddly, when she opens his eyes with her hands, he feels an itch on his eyelids. When she sweeps away his long raven bangs from his face, a soft wind blows away his, too. And when Cecaniah rubs his ears, a ticklish sensation envelopes his projection ears, too.

Strange, how can he feel this if he couldn't sense a thing when the other maidens had kissed his physical lips?

"What are you exactly looking for?" Milly asks her.

"Sorry, but I can't tell you."

Without any warning, the witch hops on the bed and straddles the prince. Lelouch, with his mouth sewn shut, runs and tries to push her away but he just passes through the girl. Yet, the girl turns to where he lands and stares at him for a while.

"What do you think you are doing?" interrogates Milly. She had moved closer to the witch – both intrigued and wary of her intentions.

"I just want to confirm something."

"You've already said that. But you are straddling the prince! Child, are you aware of what you are doing?! Oh, OH! Hey, that is too much!" With her wand, she throws the witch away when the latter unceremoniously unbuttons the prince's clothes revealing his chest.

Meanwhile, Lelouch finally escapes from the spell, or perhaps Milly accidentally removed it when she stopped Cecaniah.

"My body! My body was harassed!" Lelouch cries hysterically.

"That is unacceptable, young witch! You've seen the prince, now you must leave at once just like what we have agreed upon."

"But I haven't – "

"Hush! You're lucky that I still allowed you in here given that your lineage is the one responsible for all of this. Now, leave! Don't ever set foot in this place again."

The witch glares at Milly and Lelouch is amazed by how he cannot see a trace of fear on her eyes. A silent, tensed battle passes between them but after a few moments, the green-haired girl finally relents and leaves the room, but not without glancing at Lelouch – at the projection Lelouch and also glares at him. The prince shivers. She cannot see him, right?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When everything is peaceful again and Lelouch had recovered from the horror of his body being touched by someone else, he decides to roam around the palace and visits his sleeping family in their rooms.

He misses them so much. The king and the queen ruled a kind, approachable and humble kingdom which was admired not only by their people but also by the neighboring kingdoms. Because of this and the genuine cooperation of the public, their lands and businesses prosper. Harmony and peace also prevailed in the country.

But most of all, they were the best parents he could ever have. They taught him that among everything else, sincerity, kindness, and honesty should always be the prime foundations of leading a kingdom. And then there's his younger sister, Nunnally, who was nothing but the brightest and happiest star in his eyes. He adored her so much and she was too young to succumb into this deep sleep and not experience life more.

After giving his family kisses, the prince's attention is gotten by a strange purple light coming from the kitchen. Curious, he passes through the wall and is shocked when he finds the witch who should be gone and away from the palace, cooking something in a small pot.

 _What the…?_ He is about to call Milly when he remembers that she went out to take her regular walk in the withering forest. _Of all the times…_

A thick smoke suddenly erupts from the pot and he hears the witch cough.

"Hey, what are you doing? You should not be here!"

But of course, she doesn't hear him. She dips her hand into the pot only to re-emerge with a purple powder.

Feeling the texture, she announces, "This is good."

She leaves the kitchen with her pot and goes to the ball room. Following, the prince does not let her out of his sight and is mentally summoning Milly, hoping that she can have a hunch that something is wrong in the palace.

Throwing the powder in the air, she whispers, "Awaken."

And all of a sudden, the dull and lifeless atmosphere of the ball room bursts into vibrant yellow, blue and red as if a party is still being held. She goes to where the tables lay, sprinkles some of the mysterious powder and the flowers that had been dead long ago bloom tall and full with fresh droplets running on their petals.

"What is this?" the prince mutters in amazement as his eyes witness the miraculous change in his surroundings. Running to the window where the witch is currently throwing powder at the curtains, he asks again, "Why are you doing this? Is this one of your tricks? Leave the palace alone!"

Inspecting her work, Cecaniah puts down her pot and stands in the middle of the room. The prince waits for her next move and is surprised when she suddenly starts dancing waltz.

Eyes closed, face peaceful, the witch dances as if she is with a partner, her arms hanging infront of her. Her steps are precise as she listens to the music that only she can hear. She twirls and glides like she has been practicing it many times before.

"You look funny," the prince muses.

Cecaniah turns around and bends her body so low backward. Panicked, the prince quickly goes to her and places his hand behind her waist and holds her open hand.

"Hey, be careful!"

Straightening up, Cecaniah continues to dance but this time, unknowingly, with Lelouch. Their feet match the rhythm, and somehow impossibly, he can hear her music. They move gracefully across the room, her brown plain dress sways along with their movements like an elegant ball gown.

The witch opens her eyes and Lelouch is suddenly struck again by how she can seem to look straight at him. Her eyes are like dandelions.

"So this is how attending a ball feels like, huh," she mumbles.

Is she talking to him?

"Uhhh, yes but with more peo-"

"I've never been to a ball. Witches are not allowed to go to balls. We are never invited." She smiles bitterly.

Lelouch stops dancing upon hearing her revelation. Of course. _Of course, witches are banned from partaking to public events especially if they involve the royal family._ The root of his curse is actually because of a witch's grudge after being not invited in the celebration of his birth. He stares at the sad eyes of the girl infront of him who had also stopped dancing and stands there with her hands clasped behind her.

"Mother just wanted to change the beliefs of the people that all we do are create spells and potions that hurt others. I was not born yet that time but I heard that she was so happy when she got the invitation for the prince's introduction to the kingdom. For the first time, a witch was invited by none other than the king and the queen."

"I didn't know that."

"Yet, upon reaching the entrance, she was stopped by the soldiers and told that she was not invited anymore. A rumor was circulating that a witch plans to assassinate the prince and mother's presence was a big threat to everyone. They couldn't trust her, they said. She was after all a deceiving and conniving witch. She wasn't welcome anymore." Cecaniah rolls her eyes. "What they didn't know was mother had an ugly temper and the poor innocent baby unfortunately suffered from her wrath. She was so sorry for that. But the curse she had bestowed him was too strong there was no way to reverse it. Anyway..." A polite smile appears on her face. "I wish to attend a real ball someday with real people. I promise not to use magic and to be a good girl."

Lelouch is with her when she goes to the dining hall and sprinkles the purple powder that is magically not running out. He accompanies her in the rooms of his parents and sister and watches as they turn into their old ones giving the ambiance that his family are really just sleeping for a day.

He witnesses as the flowers, bushes, shrubs and trees in the garden bloom again – their refreshing scent permeates the air after years of cold breeze and dusty wind.

Milly returns to his room with a mix of awe, amazement and excitement upon seeing the transformation in the palace.

"What happened, Lelouch? Why everything seems the way it was before? Has the curse been broken?"

He shakes his head then nods at the sleeping form of a girl beside his body. "She happened."

The fairy follows his gaze and her expression immediately turns sour. "I told her to leave. Why is she still here?"

"Let her sleep for the night here, Milly. She is tired from everything she had done."

"But – "

"I assure you, she is harmless."

Huffing, Milly gives in because for the first time, she sees a peaceful resolve in the prince's eyes. She looks back at the sleeping witch who also has a peaceful expression on her face. Huh, what exactly happened when she was away?

"It's time for me to leave, too," Lelouch announces.

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow, Your Highness."

"Until tomorrow."

* * *

"I wanted to save someone," says the voice. This voice is familiar.

"Who?" Lelouch asks.

"I don't really know him personally but he doesn't deserve what had happened to him especially since he had done nothing wrong to be punished like that."

"That sounds tragic."

A laugh.

"Everything in the world bounds to be tragic. Everyone dies."

This makes the prince frowns, "That's not true. There's always hope and a possibility of happiness as long as you're alive. You just have to find and believe in it."

"Ever the optimistic one, aren't we?"

"It's true."

"Easy for you to say." A tinge of sadness echoes in her voice. "It's always different for _us._ Everyone hates _us._ "

"I don't hate you," Lelouch whispers. "I'll change it." He faces the eternally blurred form of the girl sitting beside him. Only her golden eyes are the things partially clear for him to see. "I promise you, you're the first one who I am going to find when I wake up. I'll show the people that you are not to be afraid of and deserve to live in peace and acceptance."

He can feel her smiling and blushing. "Thank you. But when are you going to wake up? We've been meeting in this dream for hundreds of years now."

Lelouch shrugs. "I don't know but I'm hoping soon. I want to feel the solid earth beneath me again."

"I hope so, too."

Reaching out, he holds her hand and places it on his lap. "Sing for me?"

And she does. With her angelic, soft voice, she sings to him the hymns of nature and stars until morning comes and it's finally time for him to return to the palace.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I'm surprised that you allowed her to stay here for a week now. I thought she's the enemy."

"Quiet, Milly. I'm trying to read."

The fairy scoffs. "Really? Or you just want to accompany her in the library. Did you develop a crush on the witch, Your Highness?"

"I did not." He gives her the deadliest glare he can muster. "We still need to watch her move. Her motives are still unknown."

"Whatever you say," the fairy singsongs.

Out of nowhere, a woman's voice comes from downstairs getting the attention of everyone including Cecaniah.

"Hello, is anyone here?!"

Milly makes herself visible and tells the witch, "She is someone who will try to save the prince. Please don't interfere."

"I am not going to do anything, I just want to watch."

"Make sure of it. Don't make your presence known."

She is responded with a stiff nod.

Before they leave the room, the prince catches a glimpse of the page Cecaniah was reading, and there written on top was "How to End a Powerful Curse".

* * *

She is a young girl with long black hair and emerald eyes. She is quite short in height for she just reaches Lelouch's chest when he stands beside her and possesses a fair skin, almost as fair as the witch's.

"Isn't she too young to be roaming alone in the forest?" Lelouch asks Milly.

"Well, now that the surroundings of the palace is once again colorful and inviting because of a certain someone, she must have felt that it is now safer to go here."

They follow the visitor until she reaches his room. Cecaniah, on the other hand, had kept herself well-hidden while following the younger girl. Now she is behind the curtain, taking a peek at what the visitor is doing.

"Oh prince, my prince! Your future wife is finally here to wake you up!" The girl puts her hand on her chest dramatically and kneels before the bed.

Lelouch is speechless.

Milly is dying of laughter.

Cecaniah snorts.

"My, oh my! You are really handsome in person! But how are you not aging after hundreds of years, huh? Is it magic? Is it because of the curse? Oh, your skin is so smooth! Even your hair does not grow!"

"So… If she is able to wake my body up, she's going to be my queen?" Lelouch stares at the overly dramatic and loud girl warily.

"Not necessarily. But the kingdom especially the people may expect it as a show of gratitude."

Just thinking about spending his entire life with a girl like this makes his head hurt.

"So what should I do next? Should I kiss him now?" The girl looks around. "Shouldn't there be a monster or a witch that I needed to fight first? No, please not a monster, I'm afraid of them but I can handle an evil witch. They are always the villains, right?"

The prince glances at Cecaniah but she is already completely hiding behind the curtain. The part she is holding is very much crumpled.

"Nothing? Well then, I'm going to kiss the prince now."

When nothing happens and the prince remains sleeping, the loud girl finally leaves – disappointed but not really affected by the failure.

Cecaniah has also emerged from behind the curtain and starts working on another spell. Her small pot is placed on the reading desk of the prince while leaves that he doesn't know lie beside it.

"Looks like she's up to something," Milly comments.

"Aren't you worried?" the prince inquires.

"Well, are you?"

"No."

The fairy smiles at him knowingly. "Then, I am not."

They both watch as the young woman comes up with a bright pink powder this time. She sprinkles some of it at the sleeping body but all it did was to return the vibrant colors of his clothes and bedsheets. She tries again, adding a different kind of leaf and producing green powder. All it did was to create a sweet scent inside the room.

Bored, Milly excuses herself leaving the two of them alone. Cecaniah is already on her third attempt and the prince wonders if she had eaten anything today. He is about to get nearer when he sees her wipe her eyes and sniffs.

 _Is she crying?_

"Why aren't you waking up? I've been using all of my knowledge about spells and potions, I've been reading everything useful for your case but why? I don't know what to do anymore. I am not a bad witch. We are not all bad." She kneels beside his bed and sobs her heart out and oh. _Oh._ His chest is in pain. An unfamiliar ache encloses his heart making it hard for him to breathe as he watches the shaky rise and fall of her shoulders.

"You're not bad!" He kneels beside her and tries to touch her back but his hand only passes through her body. He grits his teeth in frustration. "You are not bad," he repeats.

"I'm sorry that my mother did this to you and to the kingdom. She… She had died a long time ago regretting what she had done. But she was a kind, understanding mother. She loved me dearly. And Aunt Cecile and Uncle Jeremiah, too. They generously took me in when I was left alone. They are all kind witches."

"I understand. Please stop crying, Cecaniah."

Eyes full of tears, the witch stares at his sleeping face. "If my family leaves this country, will it be easier for you to wake up? Perhaps, the curse will get weaker if we cut our link with this place. Right." She wipes away her tears and a determined expression appears on her face.

 _Wait._

"Why haven't I thought of that before? Of course, our family link strengthens the curse."

 _Wait._

The witch looks around as if checking if someone is watching and when she is satisfied, she straddles the prince's body once again but the prince doesn't mind this time for he is busy figuring out why is he panicking with the thought of her leaving. He barely knows her. They haven't even exchange a proper conversation. So why… Why does it feel that his heart is being ripped in two upon thinking of her leaving?

"I must do this first."

She unbuttons his shirt until his chest is revealed – until his scar, the mark of the curse, is openly bare infront of her. Placing her hand on top of it, a white light immediately appears beneath her hand and on her chest at the same time. She closes her eyes and starts muttering a language Lelouch cannot understand. Warmth begins spreading in his projection chest giving him a tight and suffocating sensation.

"W-What are you doing?"

The witch continues to chant until droplets of sweat runs on her forehead and a white light comes out of her body. Meanwhile, Lelouch feels like his body is being stretched and twisted and pricked everywhere.

"Stop this! Please, stop!"

And everything eventually ends.

The white light is gone. The painful feeling is gone. The scar on his chest is gone.

Somehow, the prince feels lighter and livelier more than he ever had before. As if a very heavy load was taken away from him.

"I shall carry this now." He finds Cecaniah with a sad smile on her face, her hand on her chest.

Lelouch looks back at his physical chest then back to her. Anger starts welling up in him. "What did you do? Why did you take it? This is not your fault! Give it back to my body! Someone will come break the curse. You don't have to do this."

"It's fine. This is the best that I can do." Calmly, she fixes his shirt and lays down beside the prince. "One last night wouldn't hurt, right? Sweet dreams, Prince Lelouch." Drained from all the magic and spells she had done for the day, the witch quickly falls asleep and dreams of a boy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"You're angry."

He doesn't respond.

"At me."

He avoids looking at her for she is too clear – too vividly clear now. And he assumes that it is the same way for her, too.

"I have to do it," she silently says.

When she doesn't hear a response, she continues. "I'll be leaving, too. It will be easier for you to wake up if we stop meeting in this dream. We should have done that long before."

"Stop talking."

"But I am right, am I not? This is the reason why you are not waking up. Why you _do not want_ to wake up. Because of these dreams. They are stopping you from going back to the real world. I am hindering you."

He clenches his fists. "I said stop talking."

She stops.

But not for long.

"I was happy. You make me happy."

"Then why do you have to do this? Why are you leaving me? If I make you happy, you're going to stay here and continue to be happy with me." He finally turns to her and oh lord, she really is pretty even in this dream. Even when there is a resigned look on her face, she is too ethereal.

"And what about your family? The servants who are stuck in the palace? Their life depends on you and staying here is the most selfish thing you can do."

"Then just kiss me. Kiss me in the outside world so this curse can be finally broken."

"You want a kiss from a witch?"

"If it's from you, then I want more than one."

She blushes and turns her face away. "I wish it was that simple. But the curse mother gave you is a complicated one. Even she had tried her best to find a way to reverse it but she failed. Up until she died she was trying."

"Then all those kisses from the other girls were completely useless?"

The girl shrugs.

"Unbelievable."

"Please don't be mad."

"Then don't leave."

She lets out a tired sigh and stays silent for a while.

"I think I'm inlove with you. For a very long time now," he quietly says. She leans her head on his shoulder as a response. "Cecaniah, I love you."

She buries her face on his shoulder while tightly holding his hand.

"How sad it is that we wouldn't remember any of this when we wake up."

He feels his shirt getting wet.

"I didn't even recognize your voice during our first meeting in the real world." A bitter laugh escapes his mouth. "Perhaps you're right. Everything is bound to be tragic."

He gazes out at this white void that had been their meeting place for many years. All white. Only white and a lone bench where they sit side by side.

"I'll fulfil my promise, though. I'll find you as soon as I wake up. No matter how far, no matter how long the travel may take. I'm going to find you."

"Lelouch?"

He turns his face to her.

A kiss.

Her lips are soft and warm against him. Gentle and comforting.

He kisses her back.

A kiss of promise.

"I love you, too, Lelouch."

And he wakes up.

* * *

"Wait!"

"Lelouch!"

Milly's dark blue eyes are the ones he sees first upon waking up. Panting, he immediately sits up and looks around the room. "Where is she?"

"Who?" Milly asks worriedly.

"Cecaniah. Where is she?"

"Oh, the witch. She left in the middle of the night."

Upon hearing this, he quickly goes to where she is standing and grabs her shoulders. "What? Why didn't you stop her?"

"Why would I? And Lelouch?"

"You should've stopped her! I need… I don't know why but I need to see and talk to her. Milly, please use your magic to find her."

"Lelouch!"

"What?"

Milly's eyes travel from his head to toe and back to his head. They are wide in amazement and shock. Her mouth is hanging open. "You're awake. You are truly and physically awake."

* * *

It's been months since everything in the palace went back to normal. A huge banquet was held to celebrate the breaking of the curse and the return of the royal family. People rejoiced and held festivals on their own, the whole country was filled with colorful flags and loud cheers from all of the celebrations which lasted for almost a month.

The king and queen were tremendously overjoyed over the knowledge that the scar which marked the curse on the prince's chest disappeared and their son could now start living normally – free of worries that something bad might happen.

But the prince had confronted them.

He had remembered all those dreams.

About what happened during the celebration of his introduction. About how they turned their backs from their words and broke their promise to Elizabeth because of a rumor and prejudgment. He understood. Of course, he understood that they just wanted to protect him, but he had also learned that the couple was very good friends with the witch, so how could they betray her like that?

The king and queen apologized and had been remorseful for their actions since then. When they asked how he knew everything, he told them that he had met her daughter. And after that, with the blessing of Their Majesties, the prince set off to find his beloved witch for him to fulfil his promise and for them to ask for forgiveness at last and expressed their deepest gratitude.

The prince, together with his knight and some of the soldiers, travelled to faraway forests and countries to look for a certain green-haired maiden who captured his heart. Milly had casted a spell of good and safe voyage on them for with all of her magical powers, as a fairy, some of her tricks wouldn't work on a witch such as finding her. This is the least she can do.

But they haven't found any traces of her.

They are currently standing on the port of the last town of the huge island and the prince watches as people load boxes and baggage to the ships.

"This is the last stop, Your Highness. If you wish to continue to search for her, the travel to the nearest island may take weeks, and if we have to go to all the towns there, the search alone could last for a month," his knight says.

The prince only nods and continues to gaze out. He is already thinking of asking his parent's permission, of how many baggage he will need to bring, of who among the soldiers will accompany him. He needs to act soon or else she might think that he had broken his promise. But… Does she even want to be found? She knows where the palace is, she certainly must have heard the news, she can just go there and see him at last but she didn't. She didn't.

The prince closes his eyes.

"But it was spread throughout the whole country that the conditions of the sea are unpredictable nowadays," his knight continues. "They would sail with the sun so high in the sky but at night, deadly storms would come their way. Last week a ship sank killing all of the passengers. There were hundreds of them. Please think of your family and the people, Your Highness."

Jaw set, the prince's lips form a thin line.

"And it is Princess Nunnally's birthday celebration next week."

The prince sighs. "We are done for today. Let's go back to the palace."

* * *

At the palace, he talked to his parents about his possible departure and they were not happy about it. It is a dangerous season for sailing and fear had been spreading out in the public because of the recent sea accidents. They could not afford to let their son go out there and risk his life when they just got him back. The conversation leaked to the servants, to the soldiers, until it reached through the whole town. Now, people are scared and worried for the safety of the heir.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Milly. I don't want to give up. I couldn't," he miserably tells the fairy. "She didn't give up on me. She saved me, this whole kingdom. She saved us all."

"I know, I know. You love her, too, right?"

The prince nods.

"Well, since the talk of sailing out there is already canceled, can you think of any way to reach her? Perhaps, you can remember something she really liked when she stayed here. We can use it to lure her out maybe?"

"Something she really liked," he repeats. "Something… she really liked. SOMETHING SHE REALLY LIKED! Milly you're a genius!"

"Oh hohoho, I know, I know! You're welcome by the way. Wait where are you going?"

"I'm going to talk to the king and queen, they would be absolutely delighted by this," the prince says as he walks out of his room.

The fairy huffs. "He hasn't even told me what it was."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Lelouch watches as the attendees happily filled the floor, some are dancing and some are satisfied with just talking. The chatter and whispers create a contagious buzzing energy that makes everyone giddy and excited.

But the prince is worried.

Very much worried.

The ball is almost ending and she hasn't come. Perhaps, he was wrong to assume that she will make an appearance. Perhaps, it's so shallow for him to think that a ball would spark her interest. Perhaps…

"Has she arrived, dear?" his mother asks him.

Glancing up, he gives her a tight smile. "Not yet, Mother."

"Well, we still have a few hours. Don't lose hope."

Nodding, he returns his gaze to the floor and finds some of the familiar faces of princesses. They give him a shy wave and proceeds to dance with their respective princes.

How lucky.

He wonders if Milly's spell on the invitation did work. He badly hopes it would.

" _Place your hand here."_

 _Lelouch put his hand on top of the special invitation. Milly then waved her wand and chanted a spell._

" _For his heart belongs to you, and yours to him. May you find your way to each other and close the distance of longing. For he is yours and you are his. He is yours and you are his."_

 _He watched as the invitation glowed and flew out of the window. "That's it? Will it work?"_

" _Let's hope that it will work."_

So far, the spell hasn't worked its magic.

He is nervously counting down the minutes afraid that there will be nothing else to count. Afraid that he will run out of hours, minutes and seconds to wait for her. He never takes his eyes off the closed door, scared that he will missed her entrance, willing for it to finally open and reveal her in her light pink ball gown, her emerald hair braided up with a few strands framing her face, her fair skin glowing so brightly that it rivals the sun, and she would finally walk in. she walks in.

She _is_ walking in.

It is as if time has stopped and the prince slowly stands up as this lovely maiden stands there in the middle of the floor, looking lost and unsure. Other guests glance at her curiously, some worriedly for they know the meaning of that emerald hair.

"That must be her," he hears his mother say, but the prince is already making her way to her, weaving through the crowd, trying to avoid conversations, trying not to trip and fall, until finally, _finally_ , she is infront of him.

She hasn't seen him.

"May I have this dance?"

Turning around, her golden eyes widen, her mouth forms a small 'O'. A small blush creeps on her cheeks. "Yes, you may," she whispers and she gives her hand to him.

The world outside never stops turning, but for the two of them – them who had been each other's company in a white world only them knew for hundreds of years – for them, the world had stopped spinning, time and space had left their orbit leaving only the two of them in this magical moment.

The prince marvels on the feel of her skin, of how her small waist fits his hand, of how cold her palm is. He marvels on how tangible and physical she finally is to him after a very long time. He almost feel dizzy from the realness of all. They are finally real.

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" she teases. "Sending me a spell-bound invitation."

"Ah, so it worked. Now, I've got to think of a gift for Milly."

Cecaniah giggles. He wants to hear it more. "I was actually worried that you'll sail and battle with the dangerous sea."

"I missed you. You don't know what these dreamless nights did to me. I was going insane," he whispers.

"I know. I felt it, too."

He pulls her tighter to him and smells her citrusy scent. "Then let's not get separated again. Stay with me."

"Alright."

They continue to sway with the music – the soft tune of the violin is an almost lullaby that brings them serenity. Cecaniah leans away and roams her eyes around. "So this is what a real ball looks like, huh?"

"Does it lived up to your expectations?"

"Well, I expected to be thrown out, or at least someone to throw a tomato at me," she says nonchalantly.

But Lelouch gets irritated. "That won't happen under my watch. And I promise you that it won't ever happen again. Actually, come with me."

Holding hands, the prince guides her to the thrones where he gets every one's attention after earning permission from his parents.

"Tonight, I am announcing my intention to marry."

A collective gasp echoes in the room. The witch tugs at his hand. "Lelouch," she hisses.

He glances at her and gives her an adoring smile. "I intend to marry the lovely maiden beside me, Cecaniah Corabelle."

"Corabelle?! But she's a witch!" someone shouts.

The prince glares at the direction of the voice and announces, "Then I'm going to be a warlock. I would not allow any disrespect or prejudice directed to Cecaniah or any other witch for that matter. This kingdom will be acceptable to every individual no matter where you came from, no matter which family you belong to. Let us make our country a safe haven for those who are in need, for those who need a place to belong to. I am humbly asking you, to help us establish a kingdom that brings hope and joy to everyone."

Murmurs spread among his audience. The prince does not expect for them to understand and agree at once. Centuries of tradition and beliefs are deeply engraved in their minds and it would take time to change it. But, he at least wants them to open their hearts even just for a bit. To look at the other side and try a new path.

"And most of all," he continues. "Cecaniah saved me. She was the one who broke the curse and woke the whole kingdom up. We owe her the bright mornings and the warm nights. The fresh breeze and sweet scent of the flowers. She brought the colors back to the palace."

"Stop it already, Lelouch. This is too much," she shyly says. He squeezes her hand.

There is a tensed silence and then, "Thank you very much, future princess!" a man shouts.

"We are deeply grateful to you, welcome to the kingdom!" an old woman greets.

"We are glad to welcome you!"

The audience starts expressing their gratitude, some softly, some proudly. Some clap, some throw their fists in the air. And the prince watches as the witch's golden eyes well up with the overflowing emotions.

"Welcome to the kingdom," he whispers.

Glancing up, the future princess softly responds. "Thank you… Thank you for fulfilling your promise."

* * *

 _Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom, there was a prince who was cursed to sleep for eternity. The kingdom succumbed to deep misery and sadness that there was nothing else to do but to let it sleep with him._

 _Once upon a time, a witch with a kind heart made it her mission to see the sleeping prince and break the curse her mother had bestowed him. She made it her mission to bring back the life that was robbed to the palace and to prove that not all witches were bad._

 _Once upon a time, it was not a prince who kissed sleeping beauty but a witch._

 _Once upon a time, a prince and a witch fell inlove with each other._

 _And they lived happily ever after._


End file.
